Winter on campus, Chemistry Building (historic) and Mackay Statue, ca. 1911

This photograph taken from the walkway north of the Quad shows snow covering the ground near the Mackay Statue with the Chemistry Building in the background. The caption on the image reads, "The Beautiful." The Chemistry Building, built in 1902, was located where Ross Hall currently stands today. The building was originally built using stone from a prison near Reno. In 1936, when the Chemistry Department moved to the newly constructed Mackay Science Building, the Agriculture Extension Service occupied the building and renamed it the Extension Building. It was demolished in 1957. The Mackay Statue was placed in front of the Mackay School of Mines during its opening in 1908. Clarence Mackay, a great benefactor during the beginning years of the university, had the statue made in honor of his father, John Mackay. The statue was created by up-and-coming sculpture at the time Gutzon Borglum, best known for Mt. Rushmore. The statue was situated so that Mackay’s face is looking toward Virginia City where he made his fortune in the Comstock Mine.